The Merrill baseball team didn’t get any reprieve for its weather-hindered and win-challenged start in last Thursday’s 13-2 loss to Wis. Rapids.
“Did we play?” MHS coach Brian Artac asked. “We didn’t play well on defense, we didn’t pitch well, we didn’t hit well. Oh well, that’s where we ended up…in the well.
“We just have to be more prepared than this.”
Unlike earlier times in the season when Merrill switched out home games due to unplayable local conditions, this game was moved from Rapids to Merrill since the Raiders received more snow on Tuesday.
“It’s been a nightmare spring for us,” Artac said. “We’re 0-4, and (Monday) will be our first practice on a diamond. This game was our first time on our diamond.”
A five-run second gave the Raiders a 6-0 lead and they boosted it to 8-0 in the third. Merrill finally broke through with one in the bottom of the inning, when Jack Osness hit a two-out double and Alex Cordova doubled him home.
Rapids made it 11-1 in the fourth on Jacob Paitel’s three-run homer.
Osness walked and scored on Cordova’s single after it was mishandled.
Matt Woller 10 H, 2 W, 2 K, 11 R, 7 ER in 4 I) took the loss and Cordova (3 H, 2 W, 2 K, 2 ER in 2 I) relieved.
Cordova (2-3) provided a third of Merrill’s hits.
Merrill is 0-3 in the WVC and 0-4 overall.